Missing the Backpage Less and Less

At the beginning of the year, I was right out plucked with the omission of my favorite part of the Misc: the Backpage. It was always funny. Always insightful. And it was always the first part of the paper that I read. I thought the Misc would never be the same without it. But I was wrong. And I'm so happy that the Humor & Satire section of the paper is doing so well. I really enjoy it!

Take the issue that came out today. The piece on "hidden gem" classes was very good. And I like that someone is still making the calender (especially with the Lady Gaga jokes today). I don't always get the cartoon...sometimes it's a little too New Yorker for me..but I understood today's! And the piece by the kid with the light-up shoes is a nice ongoing drama. Those writers have really stepped up to fill in the void left by the Backpage. So to the Misc: Nice job!

Also, I LOVE the crossword puzzle. I'm usually really horrible at them. I like that someone is writing puzzles that an average college student can get. I'm too dumb for any puzzles in most newspapers. And I'm not saying that the Misc's puzzle is too dumb-downed or anything. I truly appreciate a puzzle with clues and references that I get like 90s cartoons, Monty Python, and song titles.

In summary: The Misc has pleasantly surprised me despite my horror at the beginning of this semester with the death of the Backpage. I barely even miss it anymore :)

A Drug For Indecision - Yay or Nay?

I am just about to finish reading a book called "Indecision," by Benjamin Kunkel. It's about this guy named Dwight who has a serious problem with indecision, to the point where he sometimes has to flip a coin in order to make up his mind about something. Having gone through his life so far without hope for finding a cure, Dwight suddenly hears from one of his friends that a new drug called Abulinix, which supposedly cures indecision, is being tested. The bulk of the story thereafter is about Dwight trying the drug and suddenly (and very much on a hunch) pursuing a jungle escapade to Ecuador's jungles with a Belgian girl named Brigid. Basically, it's a very funny book, and a good treadmill read, so to speak.

My question, however, is this: Is it acceptable to treat a characteristic such as indecision as outside of someone's control and potential improvement (through conscious and painstaking effort, nevertheless), and should one settle for a drug to do the job and create a more artificial and ephemeral sense of being able to decide?

Another question that I have is whether people consider the picking of a "correct" choice in practically any decision vital to the coming of an eventually positive outcome? That is, how truly important are the major decisions that we make, when looked at not just in retrospect but also at that time?

Some food for thought...

Crito